Coin controlled switch



Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED sures PATENT; OFFICE Application November6, 1931. Serial No. 573.328

This invention relates to coin controlled switches and particularly toone designed for use in connection with the ice vending machine shown inour co-pending application for patent,

6 Serial No. 478558, filed August 29, 1930, although it will beunderstood that this switch is not limited to this particular vendingapparatus.

Ice is sold in blocks of so many pounds each, retailing at 154: zo or25, as the case may be,

lO and the dispensing of the ice is controlled by the depositing of thenecessary amount of money in a coin switch box which Controls the ircuitof the dispensing mechanism. In order to make it unnecessary !or thepurchaser to actually have 16 to deposit a single coin of the propervalue in the box (and which cannot in any event be done with a l orpurchase, for instance) it is desirable that the coin controlled switchshall be capable of being operated by coins of different 20 values whichtogether total the required amount. For instance, if a 259 piece of iceis desired two dimes and one nickel, one dime and three nickels, flvenickels, or one piece will answer the requirements.

25 It is therefore the principal object of our invention to providea'coin controlled switch so arranged that the depositing of any of theabove combination of coins will close the switch, while a lesser numberof coins 'of lower value, regardless of their greater weight will notserve the purpose. cheating, either intentionally or un intentionally,is therefore prevented.

Means is also provided to` enable dimes (the smallest diameter coinuseable) to be returned to the operator if he should accidently dropthem into the wrong slot.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

v In the drawings similar characters'of refer-` ence indicatecorresponding parts in the several views: v 4 v v i Fig. 1 is a frontsectionallevation 'of our coin controlled switch structure as 'in itsnormal switch opening position. i Fig. 2 is a similar View showing theclosing of the switch by the weight of h number of deposited coins.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure with the casing in section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the apparatus as on the line 4--4 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view showing the dime receiving pocket onthe lever and the adjacent end of the coin feeding chute.

Referring'now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a rigid casing preferably of rectangularform in which the apparatus is mounted and provided with a front hingedlid 2 adapted to be locked against undesired opening as indicated inFig. 4. Fixed in the casing are transversely separated chutes 3,'4 and 5to receive dimes, quarters and nickels respectively on edge. Thesechutes are set on a down slant and extend from adjacent one side of thecasing near the top in the direction of the opposite side,terminating`at their lower ends in stepped relation to each other. Thecoins of the proper dimensions are deposted in the respective chutesfrom Slots 6 on top of the casing and arranged in the same transverselyspaced relation as the spacing of the chutes so as to deliver into theupper ends of the same; the sizes of the Slots being such as toaccommodate coins of the desired denominations. i

Mounted in the casing under the chutes is a normally horizontal lever '7which extends crosswise of the casing and is pivoted toward its endnearest the upper ends of the chutes as shown at 8. A weight 9 isapplied to the short end of the lever and yieldably holds the other endup, such upward movement being limited by a fixed stop 10. The levercarries a contact 11 whichis electrically connected to a binding post 12mounted in the casing through the medium of the pivot 8 and a metal backplate.13 in the casing on which the pivot pin and other parts aremounted. This plate itself is insulated from the casing by a panel 14 ofinsulation material. The contact ll is adapted to engage 'another springcontact 15 mounted in connection with a binding post 16 secured to thepanel 14. such contacts are normally separated and their engagement onlytakes place when the lever has been tilted a predetermined amount fromits normal 'position, and this is accomplished by the weight of coins asfed down the chutes in the following manner. v

Mounted on the lever at its outer end is a pocket 17 having a downwardslant in the direction of tilting of the lever and into which the lowerend of the chute 3 delivers as shown in Fig. 5. The width of this pocketis such that while it will accommodate two dimes 18 in side depositingof by side relation they must rest on edge and they therefore tend toroll !rom the outer end of the pocket. When the lever is horizontal thecoins are prevented from thus rolling out by a vertical fixed wall 19 ofinsulated material positioned beyond the pocket and which in eflectforms a closure for the outer end of the same. The wall in the presentinstance is shown as being integral with the adjacent side wall of thecasing and is arranged so that as the lever is tilted the necessarydistance to effect the engagement of the contacts, it no longer servesas a closure but permits the coins to drop clear as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the coins leaving the pocket the lever is of course relieved oftheir weight and the weight 9 unctions to again raise the lever to itsnormal position and open the switch. It may here be remarked that thetype of device which this switch Controls is usually a relay whichIunctions to operate a main switch.

Likewise mounted on the lever with a downward slope and disposed betweenthe pocket 17 and the pivot 8 is another pocket 20 into which the lowerend of the chute 4 delivers. This pocket is arranged to receive a singlequarter 21 on edge so that this coin likewise tends to roll from theouter end of the pocket. The closure for the front side and outer end ofthis pocket is formed by a wall member 22 separate from the pocket andmounted in fixed connection with the chute structure. This member isarranged to provide the desired closure when the lever is in itshorizontal position but to allow the coin to roll or drop from thepocket when the lever is tilted by the weight of the coins therein asindicated in Fig. 2.

Also mounted on the lever and disposed between the pocket 20 and thepivot 8 is another pocket 23 into which the lower end of the chute 5delivers, and arranged to hold a number oi nickels 24 on edge. Theclosure tor the front side and outer end of this pocket is formed by awall member 25' mounted in fixed connection with the chute structure andarranged to function in the same m'anner as the wall 22.

The apparatus above shown and described is designed to function to closethe switch upon the 25c or the equivalent thereof. This, to cover allrequirements and accommodate the user without any inconvenience meansthat it shall operate with a single quarter, two dimes and one nickel,one dime and three nickels, or five nickels. The various pockets arethereiore so arranged on the lever relative to the weight 9 and withrespect to the weights ot the various coins and the number o! the sameused in making up the above combinations, that the weight of' onequarter alone in the proper pocket is sumcient to tilt the lever; butthe weight of one or two dimes in the dime pocket or arv number ofnickels less than flve in the niekels poclet is insufllcient to overcomethe weight 9 and tilt the lever.

No coins other than dimes can ot course be placed in the dime slot 6since such coins are the sinallest made. The nickels and quarter slotshowever can obviously accommodate dimes which i! deposited thei-ein andallowed -to enter the corresponding pockets would not en'ect the tiltingof the lever unless a relatively large number of dimes were used and acorrespondingly excessive amount of money were spent. To thereiore retumany dimes accidentally deposited in the wrong slots to the owner weprovide the following arrangement.

Arranged as continuations of the chutes 4 and 5 are chutes 26 whichextend from the lower ends of the chutes 4 and 5 to the adjacent side otthe casing where they deliver into a catch pocket 2.7 exposed to theoutside oi the casing so that the operator can reach in and grasp thereturned coins with his fingers. To cause the proper coins depositedinto the chute 4 or 5 to drop into the respective lever pockets whilepermitting any dimes to roll on by and into the corresponding chutes 26,the bottoms of the chutes 4 and 5 are cut away over their lever pocketsas at 28. Cross stops 29 are arranged across the chutes 4 and 5 adjacentthe plane of the cut away portion of the bottoms or in such position tobe engaged by quarters or nickels respectively as the latter reach thecut away bottoms and so as to cause the coins to be halted in theirmovement and to drop into the pockets. The stops i. however arepositioned so that they do not engage the relatively smaller dimes asindicated in Fig. 1 and the latter roll past the stops and into theextension chutes 26. This momentum oi' the coins is obtained by reasonof the fact that the chutes are set on such an incline that the movementof all coins, i! not deflnitely halted, is 'sufticient to carry thembeyond the open bottom portion of the chutes.

From the above description it will be evident that an apparatusembodying the same principle 1 may of course be made to control theclosing oi a switch with amounts of money other than that herein shownand described, by altering the number of lever pockets and thecorresponding feed chutes, and the positioning of these pockets relativeto each other. and to the lever pivot.

From the toregoing description it will be readily seen. that we haveproduced such a device as substantially Iulfllls the objects of theinvention as set torth herein.

While this speciflcation sets torth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit` ofthe invention, as deilned by the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful anddesh-e to secure by Letters Patent is: v

In a coin controlled switch that combination which comprises a pivotedand weighted lever.

a switch, means operable by the overbalancing o! the lever to close theswitch, a fixed independent inclined coin chute above the lever andprovided. with a bottom slot, a coin cup into which the slot opens suchcup including four walls, the front and one side wall of the cup beingfixed on the chute, and the rear and other side wall andthe bottom ofthe.cup being fixed on the lever, whereby when the lever is overbalancedthe respective fixed walls will move apart and allow a coin in the cupto discharge theretrom.

LESLIE E. SCO'I'I'. ERNEST A. SMITH.

